(4) K-3 Illustrated by Dennis Nolan. When an aunt gives her niece, the narrator, a tiny white horse, the girl and the horse she names Pegasus form a bond. But even as Pegasus grows, develops wings, and takes the girl on nighttime flights, she knows that "you cannot own magic." Hazy, richly colored paintings add a dreamlike quality to an otherwise ponderous tale of loving and letting go.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jan Brett. Three mouse siblings slip quietly out of the house early Mother's Day morning to find presents in the woods. After nearly being caught by a fox and an owl, they give Mother a dandelion and strawberry--and Little Mouse sings a song. Brett's illustrations, rendered in glowing, brilliant colors, are the perfect complement to the cozy, sentimental story. An affectionate tribute to the holiday.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1986

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin M. Barry. Ghost cat Sailor Boy secretly lives in a remote lighthouse with its elderly (female) keeper. The cat enjoys teasing tourists with "ghostly purrs or a little scratch at an ankle," but when Miss Maggie takes a fall during a storm, Sailor Boy finds a way to save ships from crashing. The story is somewhat bland, but Barry's gently macabre line and watercolor illustrations add atmosphere.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin Zimmer. On Valentine's Day, Mr. Goat determines to "show my first love how much she means to me"--with "ragweed salad," a "tasty" can, and "delicious rotten eggs." Saturated colors and wide-eyed, anthropomorphized characters evoke a Pixar sensibility; gross goaty details up the child appeal. That grown-up Mr. Goat's valentine is his mother is a sweet twist, befitting this confection of a tale.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jan Brett. Determined to celebrate Valentine's Day, Mrs. Bear sets "her alarm for February 14" and gets busy making valentines, retrieving treats, and trying to rouse hibernating Mr. Bear. The gentle story's surprise ending emphasizes the affection between the couple. Set against snow-white pages (sans what would become her trademark), Brett's detailed line drawings are enhanced with bursts of red and honey-brown.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. When Mouse finds a shoe, he goes on a quest to find its owner. On his search, he meets several different animals until he finally discovers the (kind and generous) owner. Told in playful rhyming verse supported by Ruzzier's whimsical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, readers will delight in this cheery story with a good message about the value of honesty.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lauren Castillo. In this heartfelt story, Callie and her parents must move from their house into an apartment. Callie is bereft at their yard sale but ends up embracing the idea that the important things in life aren't things and that as long as they have one another, they'll be okay. Castillo's ink and watercolor illustrations employ soft line, warm colors, and close-ups of tender moments.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015

(3) YA After her parents die of influenza, sixteen-year-old Josie is at the mercy of her austere and secretive aunt and uncle. Trapped in the lonely, windswept house on Brindle Point, Josie welcomes the warmth of Eli, a mysterious but kind young man. The gloomy Scottish atmosphere is littered with clues about Aunt Minnie and Uncle Caleb's wrongdoing, as well as Eli's true nature.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. In three festive stories, readers will enjoy celebrating with Frog and his friends as they welcome a new friend to their Thanksgiving table, decorate a communal Christmas tree together, and party in their own special way on New Year's Eve. The accessible text is a good fit for newly independent readers. Colorful, well-placed illustrations capture the joy and happiness of the holidays.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brad Sneed. Lizzie's mother is about to have a baby, so Lizzie must help her grandma with the wash; the feeling of a job well done and a surprise visitor make the day-long, arduous production worth it. Though they stumble with figures and faces, the pencil and watercolor illustrations aptly evoke the 1889 setting. Plenty of old-fashioned, pioneer-life details are woven into the text.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. This latest early reader featuring Frog and his pond companions contains two vignettes. In the first, the friends are fascinated by a rainbow and determined to find the gold that little Jumping Mouse says is at the end. Next, a fisherman invades the pond; will Frog have to leave his home? Bright illustrations help the reader make predictions and inferences about the accessible stories.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by John Manders. As with the other books in this series, rhyming couplets introduce a topic and lengthy sidebars provide more detailed information. The constraints of the format mean some topics are more relevant than others. For P readers learn the difference between a privateer and a buccaneer; "M is for Movie Pirates" seems like a stretch. Swarthy, caricatured illustrations accompany the lively text.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Don Tate. At his funeral, Martin Luther King Jr.'s casket was carried in a borrowed wooden farm cart pulled by two mules. It's a humble image, but the throngs of people lining the streets to pay their respects reflect Dr. King's great work and legacy. Bunting's simple, poetic prose follows the cart's slow, sad procession; Tate's somber, handsome gouache illustrations are a perfect accompaniment.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. In Outdoor, Frog's jokes are the hit of the pond concert, he helps Squirrel save a baby bird, and he soothes his friends' fears after a scary story. In Saves, the animals discover the source of a loud noise and Frog rescues a baby possum from the river. Colorful illustrations of the charming pond critters are well placed within the easy-to-read vignettes. Review covers these I Am a Reader! titles: Frog and Friends: Frog Saves the Day and Frog and Friends: Outdoor Surprises.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(1) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. None of Duck's animal friends is able to help him find his new blue socks, and Duck remains frustrated until at last he discovers the socks' location. Ruzzier has hidden them in plain sight amongst the offbeat details in the cartoon illustrations. Jaunty rhyme and an accessible vocabulary make this a perfect book for the newest reader.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. In Outdoor, Frog's jokes are the hit of the pond concert, he helps Squirrel save a baby bird, and he soothes his friends' fears after a scary story. In Saves, the animals discover the source of a loud noise and Frog rescues a baby possum from the river. Colorful illustrations of the charming pond critters are well placed within the easy-to-read vignettes. Review covers these I Am a Reader! titles: Frog and Friends: Frog Saves the Day and Frog and Friends: Outdoor Surprises.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) PS Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. In the sequel to Little Bear's Little Boat, following the advice of other animals, Big Bear adds extra features to his big-boat-in-progress, and he isn't pleased with the messy results; he lets his friends down easy ("A bear should never let go of his own dream"). The cloying moments detract from the simpler-is-better theme, reflected in the subdued pen-and-ink and digital illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. In these three lighthearted, brief vignettes, Frog and friend Little Brown Bat compare their differences and similarities, Frog allows all his friends to join him on a vacation, and he's given his own star by a mysterious Starman. The stories are gently humorous, but they lack cohesiveness--and a real point. Masse's illustrations are brightly colored, cartoonlike, and appealing.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Maeve's grandpa unearths a mummy--common in Ireland, where (a note says) scores of remains have been found. Maeve's uneasiness at the find turns to empathy for the long-ago girl who, like her, had blond hair. McCully's masterful pen-and-ink lines capture Maeve's feelings; watercolors evoke the lush countryside. This is a sensitive opening to the universal theme of curiosity about death.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2012

(3) K-3 I Am a Reader! series. Illustrated by Josée Masse. This collection of stories follows Frog and his friends as he meets--and loses--new friend Flower (a flower), soars on the back of a seagull, and needs his friends' help falling asleep. New readers will appreciate the easy-to-read sentences in the accessible stories, while Masse's breezy illustrations bring to life the cute animal characters in their whimsical pond-side home.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski